Making waves in cosmetics: Rousselot launches marine collagen peptides for skincare
19 Jan 2021 --- Rousselot is introducing a new collagen peptide ingredient to the beauty and skincare market. Peptan Marine can help beauty and nutrition brands differentiate and expand their portfolio with sustainably-sourced, premium nutricosmetics and dietary supplements, the company says.
“We are introducing MSC-certified ocean white fish collagen peptides to complement our farm-raised fish collagen range and to support our customers in meeting evolving consumer and market requirements in the competitive nutricosmetic segment,” says Dr. Sara De Pelsmaeker, global business development, Rousselot Health and Nutrition.
“By leveraging our expertise and end-to-end support, brands can sustainably upgrade their offering and bring industry-leading products with the highest environmental, ethical and quality standards to market quickly.”
Rising demand for marine collagen
The launch comes as a rising number of consumers are looking for fish collagen beauty and dietary supplement products, the company supports. While the aquaculture fish collagen segment remains strong, sustainably sourced marine solutions are also gaining in popularity.
According to Innova Market Insights data, new product launches with collagen sourced from wild-caught ocean fish have risen by 70 percent between 2018 and 2019.
This evolving demand for marine collagen is driven by its “premium” appeal, as well as the rapidly growing trend for more sustainable lifestyles. 
Peptan Marine can help beauty and nutrition brands differentiate and expand their nutricosmetics and dietary supplements portfolio.
People with specific dietary requirements, like pescatarians or those that don’t eat certain types of meat for religious reasons, are also accelerating growth in this space, Rousselot says.
Peptan’s eco-appeal
Produced in the Rousselot facilities in France, Peptan Marine is set to be presented at the upcoming virtual Beauty & Skincare Formulation Conference 2021.
With the MSC blue label, this solution addresses the emerging consumer preferences for sustainable and fully traceable fishing practices that safeguard the health and biodiversity of the world’s oceans.
The newly launched, non-GMO collagen peptides are also compliant with EU and US regulations regarding antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, heavy metals and toxins. Moreover they hold International Food Standard (IFS) and hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) production certifications.
Fish collagen strides
Marine collagen has been slowly rising in popularity within the skincare segment with more players trying to tap into its skin-boosting potential.
Previously, Vinh Hoan, a supplier of pangasius and marine collagen peptides, documented substantial improvements in skin health and appearance in a study where participants were treated with 10 g a day of Vinh Wellness Collagen.
Demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly ingredients has opened up a market for alternative collagen sources. Marine collagen and even “vegan collagen” or vegan, collagen-boosting ingredients, such as vitamin C, are experiencing increased traction.
The collagen industry has noted the challenge for sustainable collagen and even vegan alternatives. Speaking to NutritionInsight, experts discussed how they are coping with challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as whether vegan collagen is a viable alternative.
Quality control, however, still remains a challenge. In May, a white paper published by the US non-profit Clean Label Project and the Organic Consumers Association found that four of 30 tested collagen peptide supplements contained traces of heavy metal contamination.
On the overall cosmetics segment outlook, NutritionInsight previously spoke with industry insiders on how the pandemic is bound to affect the space. Despite e-commerce reportedly experiencing a significant rise, a drop in sales numbers has also been noted.
On the other hand, increased interest in supplements is also boosting the beauty supplements sphere, which has historically been dubbed “recession-proof.”
By Kristiana Lalou
